Archive for the 'Albie Pearson' Tag Under 'Angels' Category

The Baseball Reliquary, in conjunction with its exhibition, “Halos & Horror: 50 Years of Angels Baseball,” will have a screening of “Angels '62,” the official 1962 Angels promotional film, at the Pomona Public Library on Saturday (April 30) at 3 p.m.

The film, narrated by broadcaster Don Wells, presents highlights from the then-Los Angeles Angels' second season as a major league franchise and their first played at Chavez Ravine as a tenant of the Los Angeles Dodgers. See players Albie Pearson, Jim Fregosi, Joe Koppe, Ken Hunt, Leon Wagner, Dean Chance and Bob "Buck" Rodgers back in action and in vivid Tecnicolor.

A highlight is the actual play-by-play call of Buddy Blattner as Angels left-hander Bo Belinsky throws his no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles on May 5, the first major league no-hitter on the West Coast.

The screening will be followed by an Angels 50th Anniversary trivia contest and baseball-related prizes.

Terry Cannon, executive director of the Baseball Reliquary, says the film begins in spring training in Palm Springs, with the team (including owner Gene Autry (right)) bicycling from the hotel to the ballpark to help get into shape. It concludes with the second-year expansion franchise surprising the baseball world by finishing in third place in the ten-team American League with an 86-76 record.

The Baseball Reliquary, a non-for-profit educational organization dedicated to fostering an appreciation of American art and culture through the context of baseball history, is now presenting its “Halos & Horrors: 50 years of Angels Baseball” exhibition at the Pomona Public Library.

On display will be photographs, artwork, memorabilia and documents chronicling the heritage, events and personalities of the franchise that began in 1961 as the Los Angeles Angels. Among those prominently spotlighted in the exhibition will be the Angels founder and first owner Gene Autry, cocky southpaw Bo Belinsky, pitching ace Dean Chance, popular 5-foot-5 center fielder Albie Pearson and Angels greats Ryne Duren, Leon “Daddy Wags” Wagner, Nolan Ryan, Jim Abbott and Garret Anderson.

Highlights include a photographic series of the Angels' 1964 spring training in Palm Springs; photos of the construction of Anaheim Stadium (now Angel Stadium), which became home to the Angels in 1966; and artist Ben Sakoguchi's “Orange Crate Label Series: The Unauthorized History of Baseball” paintings featuring the team's “horrors,” curses and personal tragedies of Angels players Wagner, Belinsky, Lyman Bostock and Donnie Moore.

Who was the Angels' first superstar player? Who was traded away from the Angels to land Nolan Ryan? Who guided the Angels to their first postseason in 1979?

Jim Fregosi, the former Angels All-Star shortstop, manager and answer to all three bits of Angels trivia, will take the mound on Tuesday night to deliver the ceremonial first pitch before Angels play host to the Cleveland Indians at Angel Stadium.

In this 50th anniversary celebration that has former Angels performing the first-pitch honors, Fregosi enters the rotation after two fellow original 1961 Angels. Eli Grba, his first roommate, the first Angel selected in the 1960 expansion draft and the club's first starting pitcher, appeared Friday. Center fielder Albie Pearson, the first Angel to score a run, came to the mound on Saturday.

“I just hope the pitch has enough steam to get to home,” said a laughing Fregosi, 69, who is also scouting the Indians-Angels series as the senior advisor for player personnel for the Atlanta Braves. “I'm thrilled to death to be a part of the Angels history.”

The Angels' first star, Fregosi, a pickup from Boston in the 1960 expansion draft, made his major league debut with the Angels on Sept. 14, 1961. He played with the club from that inaugural 1961 season at Wrigley Field, through the 1962 to 1965 seasons at Chavez Ravine and moved with the club to Angel (then Anaheim) Stadium, where he played from 1966-1971.

Former Angels center fielder Albie Pearson will deliver the ceremonial first pitch tonight (Saturday, April 9) at Angel Stadium. And he's a little nervous.

“If I trained for one pitch, the lactic acid would build up so badly that I couldn't throw a ball for two weeks,” said Pearson, 76, who lives at PGA West in La Quinta and is an avid golfer with a single-digit handicap. “At my age, just trying to stand up out there will make me a winner.”

Pearson, the subject of my Saturday column, won't need that pitch to put him over the top. The 5-foot-5 center fielder became 1958 AL Rookie of the Year, played for the original 1961 Angels and was a 1963 AL All-Star. What he has done after his retirement in 1966 will be his legacy: he became a minister, started churches and orphanages around the world and a home for abused and neglected boys in Desert Hot Springs.

He will be the second of 81 former Halos who will throw out the first pitch for regular-season home games as part of the ballclub's 50th anniversary celebration. Pearson's teammate on the original 1961 team, pitcher Eli Grba, returned to the mound in the home opener on Friday night.

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Pitcher Eli Grba gets a lot of attention because he was the first player the Angels selected in the 1960 expansion draft and the first Angel to do, well, a lot of things. But that's to be expected when you play on the 1961 inaugural team.

Well, there's a lot more to know about Grba, who is the subject my column today and the first former Angel to take the mound in this season's 50th anniversary to deliver the ceremonial first pitch. He played just five seasons in the majors, his final three with the Angels (then playing in Los Angeles at Wrigley Field in 1961 and Chavez Ravine from 1962-1965), before his far-from-ceremonious departure from the game. Without baseball he fell deeper into alcoholism before one 1981 moment of self-realization prompted him to turn his life around and quit drinking.

I enjoyed speaking with Grba, an affable, gentle-hearted and humorous man who spoke candidly about what he wished he would have done better in life and in baseball. He doesn't watch much baseball these days. He prefers watching hockey, going fishing, reconnecting with the guys from the 1961 team and handling his Shih Tzu named Izzie.

Baseball, for the most part, is in his past. His sobriety -- he hasn't had a drink in 30 years -- gave him new life.

He's living in Florence, Ala., now with his wife, Regina, whom he met while working as a scout for the Philadelphia Phillies. She worked at the Cracker Barrel in Mobile and he was a regular there. They've been married for 18 years.

Let the gift-giving begin as the Angels' 50th anniversary season finally opens Friday at home against Toronto. Pitcher Eli Grba, the first Angel selected in the 1960 expansion draft, will be tossing out the ceremonial first pitch, and the Angels, courtesy Nitto and Sherwin-Williams, will be handing out the Opening Night T-shirt and lanyard at the ballpark.

Here is an early look at what you get for stepping through the turnstiles on Friday. What's special about the freebie Opening Night T-shirt is not so much the front bearing the team's "50th Anniversary Season," which adorns just about every new arrival at the Team Store. Check out the back, which carries the name of every Angel who has appeared in a game "even if it was just to pinch hit," said Angels marketing associates and promotions guru John Rozak. Rozak took inspiration from rock concert T-shirts that have stadium tour dates screened on their backs.

On Saturday, when popular All-Star center fielder Albie Pearson is throwing out the first pitch, don't worry about your head getting cold because the Angels, courtesy Smart & Final, are giving away very cool -- actually warm -- Angels Bonnet Beanies. The Strike Force has been sporting the hats at the Angels 5K and Fan Fest and at the March 29 exhibition against the Dodgers and turning heads.

Sticking with the winter theme next Tuesday night (4/12) against Cleveland, the Angels, courtesy Yokohama Tires, will be handing out the Angels Fleece Blanket, which features the team's 50th anniversary logo. That night, former Angels shortstop and manager Jim Fregosi will be the Angels Alum tossing out the first pitch.

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As part of the Angels 50th anniversary celebration, former Angels will toss the ceremonial first pitches at all 81 of the ballclub's regular-season home games. The Angels are releasing the names of the returning honorary alumni one homestand at a time. Here's the list for the first xis to take the mound in the opening homestand:

* Friday, April 8 vs. Toronto (7:05 p.m.) - Eli Grba. The right-handed pitcher was the first Angel taken in the

expansion draft prior to the inaugural 1961 campaign and recorded the first victory.

* April 9 vs. Toronto (6:05 p.m.) - Albie Pearson. The 1958 A.L. Rookie of the Year with the Washington Senators became a 5-foot-5 center fielder and Angels fan favorite.

* April 10 vs. Toronto (12:35 p.m.) - Bob Lee. Known as "Moose," Lee was 1965 All-Star pitcher while with the Angels.

February 18th, 2011, 11:21 am by Sam Miller, The Orange County Register

Some of the individual votes are already stirring up controversy out there, among them -- as I expected -- my decision to put Garret Anderson No. 20. I tended to prefer rate stats over longevity when assessing "greatness," using longevity as a tiebreaker only, but not everybody would make that call. And my friend AKnoxxx let's me have it:

wow 20th for Garret Anderson? We're you going off straight WAR and miss his entire Angels career? Embarrasing!